Continuous torrential rainfall has battered Himachal Pradesh, severely impacting both religious pilgrimage and essential transport infrastructure across the hill state. The revered Kinnar Kailash Yatra, which draws thousands of devotees annually, has been suspended as flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides have disrupted mobility and triggered widespread damage.
By Friday, over 250 roads, including key highways like the Manali-Leh route, remained blocked. The districts of Mandi, Kullu, and Sirmaur have emerged as some of the worst-hit, with multiple reports of road collapses and overflowing rivers sweeping away vehicles and footbridges. The monsoon havoc has so far caused 112 fatalities, with another 35 persons missing and nearly 200 reported injured. The damage to infrastructure and public property has crossed ₹1,220 crore.
The weather-triggered calamity has also raised fresh concerns for the region’s farmers and fruit growers, who are grappling with blocked routes during the crucial transport season for apples and vegetables. The government has assured rapid clearance and restoration work to enable agricultural supply chains. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri confirmed the partial resumption of mini-bus services in the Seraj region to reconnect villages that had been cut off for days.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is closely monitoring the situation from the State Emergency Operation Centre, which continues to track incoming alerts and coordinate relief distribution. While rescue and repair operations are ongoing, the India Meteorological Department has maintained an orange alert, cautioning of more intense rainfall in the coming days.
As the state battles this monsoon fury, the crisis underlines the pressing need for long-term disaster-resilient infrastructure, early-warning systems, and sustainable land-use practices in ecologically fragile mountain regions like Himachal Pradesh.